A 4 bit full Nyquist 1 Gsample/s monolithic GaAs ADC with on-chip S/H and error correction

A 4-bit D-MESFET GaAs ADC (analog/digital converter) has been designed, processed, and tested. The circuit has a flash structure and includes an original false-state-corrector circuit. A sample and hold has been placed at the quantizer input to improve high-speed acquisition. The circuit includes no more than 1200 active components on a 2-mm*2-mm area. From the first run, it has demonstrated full functionality at low frequencies with a 50% yield in the best cases. It has shown the capability to work with a 999-MHz sinewave input at a 1-GHz sample rate. Proper linearity results have been obtained on real full Nyquist measurements at a 500-MHz clock rate.<
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